Setting Advocacy Goals for the New Year

The start of a new year offers a unique opportunity to reflect on past achievements, identify areas for growth, and focus on what lies ahead. For disability rights advocates, it’s a perfect time to double down on efforts to build a more inclusive and equitable world for disabled people. Whether you’re an experienced advocate or just beginning your journey, this is your chance to set meaningful goals that can help drive positive change.

Why Advocacy Goals Matter

Advocacy is a long-term pursuit, often requiring persistence to overcome the systemic barriers disabled people face. Without clear objectives, it can feel overwhelming. Setting goals helps to:

1. Focus Your Energy: Knowing what you're working towards ensures that your efforts are effective and purposeful.

2. Build Momentum: Achieving smaller, incremental goals fosters a sense of accomplishment, keeping you motivated.

3. Measure Impact: Goals allow you to track your progress and see how your actions are making a tangible difference.

4. Inspire Others: When you share your goals, you encourage others to take part in the movement and get involved.

In the disability rights movement, where many challenges are compounded by systemic inequalities, well-thought-out goals provide direction and drive.

How to Set Effective Advocacy Goals

When setting your advocacy goals, consider using the SMART framework:

1. Specific: Avoid vague goals like “raise awareness.” Instead, define exactly what you want to achieve, such as “host three disability rights workshops by June.”

2. Measurable: Decide how you will measure success. For example, if your goal is to make spaces more accessible, track the number of venues that implement accessibility changes.

3. Achievable: Set ambitious goals, but make sure they’re realistic and within your capacity.

4. Relevant: Ensure your goals align with the core mission of advancing disability rights and inclusivity for disabled people.

5. Time-bound: Set clear deadlines to maintain accountability and create urgency.

Examples of Advocacy Goals for 2025

If you're unsure where to begin, here are some potential goals to consider for the year ahead:

1. Educate and Inform:

   • Deliver four disability awareness workshops across schools, workplaces, or community groups.

   • Launch a social media campaign to highlight key disability issues, such as workplace discrimination or the need for accessible design.

2. Improve Accessibility in Your Community:

   • Advocate for the local council to introduce tactile paving at major pedestrian crossings.

   • Partner with small businesses to implement accessibility features such as ramps, automatic doors, or clear signage.

3. Engage Policymakers:

   • Write to your local MPs or council representatives to urge them to prioritise disability rights legislation.

   • Organise a town hall or meeting with decision-makers to discuss the importance of accessibility and inclusion.

4. Support Disabled Voices:

   • Publish stories from disabled people within your community to amplify their experiences.

   • Start a podcast or YouTube series dedicated to disability rights and lived experiences.

5. Champion Workplace Inclusion:

   • Collaborate with a local business to design a disability-inclusive hiring programme.

   • Advocate for flexible working policies to better accommodate disabled employees.

6. Build Community:

   • Start or join a local disability rights group to foster collective action.

   • Host monthly meetups to discuss challenges, share resources, and celebrate progress.

Overcoming Barriers to Goal Achievement

Advocacy work comes with its fair share of challenges. Here are some common barriers and strategies to overcome them:

1. Barrier: Lack of Time

   • Solution: Break down goals into smaller, manageable tasks that fit into your schedule. Even small steps can lead to significant progress over time.

2. Barrier: Limited Resources

   • Solution: Collaborate with other organisations or advocates to pool resources and amplify your impact.

3. Barrier: Advocacy Fatigue

   • Solution: Prioritise self-care and set boundaries. Sustainable advocacy requires a healthy, well-supported advocate.

4. Barrier: Resistance from Others

   • Solution: Use storytelling and data to demonstrate the importance of your cause. Stay persistent, professional, and respectful.

Tips for Staying on Track

Sticking to your advocacy goals requires consistency and regular reflection. Here’s how to stay on course:

1. Break Down Larger Goals: Divide big objectives into smaller, actionable steps that feel more achievable.

2. Set Regular Check-ins: Review your progress monthly or quarterly to celebrate your wins and adjust your strategies if needed.

3. Find an Accountability Partner: Partner with someone who shares your passion for advocacy, someone who can help keep you motivated and focused.

4. Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate every step forward, no matter how small—every bit of progress counts!

Share Your Vision for 2025

One of the most powerful tools in advocacy is collective action. By sharing your goals, you encourage others to take action too. Let us know what you're working toward in 2025 by commenting below or tagging us on social media. Your vision might inspire someone else and create a ripple effect of positive change.

Together, We Can Create a More Inclusive World

Setting goals is just the beginning, but it’s an essential first step. Every goal you set, no matter how small, contributes to a broader movement that demands equality, inclusion, and respect for disabled people.

This year, let’s aim higher, dream bigger, and work harder to make disability rights a reality for everyone. With determination, collaboration, and the right mindset, 2025 can be a landmark year for advocacy.